Vitamin C Goodness

We’re in the thick of winter dreaming of longer, warmer days. Summertime is around the corner, and just starting to blossom in our backyard is the fruit of the season, the humble Orange. Packed with feel good nutrients, a freshly squeezed juice is everyone’s favourite go to for their Vitamin C hit.

But what about their peels? Turns out, they’re better. Orange peel contains a bunch of vitamins and minerals at a higher amount than the fruits themselves, so much so that a single orange’s peel can provide the daily recommended dose for five different vitamins and minerals. The powdered zest is about 40 times as concentrated, so using it in on your skin means you get all the benefits and more.

With nearly twice the amount of vitamin C, orange peels help eliminate free radicals in the skin, which causes premature aging, and naturally bleaches out age spots. One study found that the high vitamin C content can actually help protect against UV rays, stopping redness and burning.

Orange peel is also incredibly cleansing. Several studies have found that orange peel helps bind toxic chemicals, which hinders their exposure, which means your body can flush them out before they do their dirty work and leave your skin feeling heavy and nasty. Instead, the natural proteins leave your skin feeling rejuvenated and refreshed, brighten your skin, and prevent breakouts.

It’s a cure-all for blemishes after the fact, too, solving issues with whiteheads, blackheads, pimples, and acne, and even may decrease milia, typically considered to only heal by extraction surgery, because it penetrates deep into pores and breaks down the oil, pollution, and other grime. It promotes blood circulation, improving skin tone, curing dark circles, and giving your skin a healthy glow. In addition to this, the blood-pumping effect energizes and refreshes you.

As a great source of vitamin E, orange peel antioxidizes your skin, and, in a recent discovery, has been found to regulate gene signals to prevent inflammatory damage. It slows down melanin production to reduce age spots, and penetrates deeper into the skin to start at the source, stopping the cause instead of just the symptom, which means it’s less likely to come back.

It a natural astringent, which controls oiliness and brightens and tightens the skin, healing fine lines and wrinkles. It’s also a natural toner, which reduces pore size, balances the pH level, and forms a protective barrier against pollutants and dust. Add it the bright aroma, known to improve mood and reduce headaches, and you’ve got a boost in just about every way you could ever want!

Because making the powder at home is an expensive and days-long process, buying it premade and adding it in or having the ingredient mixed in already is more economical and leaves you with more time to enjoy your days, whether it starts in the sunrise with a freshly-squeezed glass or with your spiked OJ around noon.